Actors revolt on stage at Edinburgh festival after proposal to cut Scottish arts funding

Actors and directors have protested on stage during the Edinburgh festival after anger about proposed cuts to Scottish arts funding escalated into open revolt.

- Severin Carrell

Protests were read out after performances, including at the Traverse, Lyceum, George Square, Summerhall and Church Hill theatres, to loud applause from audiences, as thousands of artists and performers signed an open letter calling for the cuts to be reversed.

The Scottish arts community is in uproar after it emerged on the eve of this year's festival that Creative Scotland faces cuts of up to £10m this year owing to widespread spending cuts across the public sector following the general election.

The hashtag #NoArtWithoutArtists garnered attention online after directors such as Cora Bissett and the former Creative Scotland chief executive Andrew Dixon urged Scottish ministers to protect the agency's budgets. The open letter was signed by the Succession star Brian Cox; the comedian Phill Jupitus; and Vicky Featherstone, the artistic director of the Royal Court theatre.

Bissett, whose current production is a homage to the country star June Carter Cash, said the situation was critical after lifeline funding for freelance artists and performers was frozen. Dixon, now an adviser on European city of culture bids, said the cuts were "shameful".